> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://morningheartgames.gitbook.io/docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://morningheartgames.gitbook.io/docs/gameplay-ability-toolkit/try-it/gamecreatorarena.md).

# Game Creator Arena

This optional demo ports the Arena player skill kit into a GameCreator-authored training scene. It is a practice scene, not the Arena wave, boss, win, or lose loop.

Read this page only if you use Game Creator or need to evaluate the optional bridge. Core Gameplay Ability Toolkit users can skip it and use the Basic Tutorial plus Arena Demo instead.

Stats integration is intentionally excluded. Do not enable the optional GameCreator Stats bridge for this demo.

## Requirements

* Enable `GAS_ENABLE_GAMECREATOR` and `GAS_HAS_UNITASK`.
* Install GameCreator Core and GameCreator Melee.
* Open `GameplayAbilityToolkit/Demo/GameCreatorArena/Scenes/GameCreatorArenaSkills.unity`.

The bridge keeps the core runtime contracts intact: Game Creator triggers press or release toolkit inputs, and Game Creator ability assets still run through `AbilitySystemComponent`, `RuntimeAbilities`, effects, tags, cues, targeting, montage, projectile, channel, and hitbox helpers.

## Scene

The scene is built as an Arena Training-style room with a collidable dungeon floor, walls, training pads, ranged lane, meteor pad, flamethrower lane, reset pad, torches, camera, lighting, cue manager, EventSystem, HUD, a humanoid GameCreator player, and humanoid target dummies.

![GameCreator Arena training scene running with the shared Arena HUD texture set.](/files/pjrmkKF61bYn5r9lVu13)

The player and dummies use GameCreator `Character`, GAT `AbilitySystemComponent`, `MontagePlayer`, world status bars, and humanoid visual models. The player Animator is assigned GameCreator Basic Locomotion so Character movement parameters are valid at runtime.

## Controls

* LMB: Light Attack
* RMB: Heavy Attack
* Space: Dodge
* Q: Firebolt
* E: Meteor
* Hold F: Flamethrower
* R: Warcry
* H: Reset training attributes
* Backquote: Toggle event log

## Skill Parity

* Light Attack: three-hit melee combo, Arena light montages, timed hit windows, light damage, hit reaction, and combo buffering.
* Heavy Attack: heavy montage, stamina cost, cooldown, wider hit window, heavy damage, and hit reaction.
* Dodge: dodge montage, GameCreator transient motion, stamina cost, cooldown, and temporary invulnerability.
* Firebolt: cast montage, projectile spawn, travel, single-target impact, burn, impact VFX, and cleanup.
* Meteor: cast montage, ground target point, delayed falling projectile, area impact, burn, impact VFX, and cleanup.
* Flamethrower: held channel montage/VFX, periodic mana drain, cone checks, tick damage, burn, and release/resource stop behavior.
* Warcry: cast montage, haste effect, aura cue, and normal effect expiry.

## Authoring Model

Scene Trigger objects are GameCreator Visual Scripting entry points. Skill triggers press or release GAT ability inputs on the player; they do not apply combat effects directly.

Combat behavior lives in the seven `GA_GC_*` Game Creator Ability assets. Each asset is authored with the Game Creator Ability Inspector's `Execution Type` recipe:

* `Melee`: `Input -> Swing -> Hit -> Finish`
* `Projectile`: `Input -> Cast -> Projectile -> Impact -> Finish`
* `Targeted Projectile`: `Input -> Target -> Cast -> Projectile -> Impact -> Finish`
* `Channel`: `Input -> Hold -> Tick -> Finish`
* `Movement`: `Input -> Move -> Finish`
* `Self Effect`: `Input -> Cast -> Apply -> Finish`

The assets are configured to match the corresponding reference abilities in `GameplayAbilityToolkit/Demo/Arena/Abilities`:

* `GA_GC_LightAttack` mirrors `GA_LightAttack`.
* `GA_GC_HeavyAttack` mirrors `GA_HeavyAttack`.
* `GA_GC_Firebolt` mirrors `GA_Firebolt`.
* `GA_GC_Meteor` mirrors `GA_Meteor`.
* `GA_GC_Flamethrower` mirrors `GA_Flamethrower`.
* `GA_GC_Dodge` mirrors `GA_Dodge`.
* `GA_GC_Warcry` mirrors `GA_Warcry`.

The old demo action switch is not part of the authoring path. GameCreator users choose an `Execution Type`, edit the current recipe step, and add Game Creator instructions under the relevant `On...` event. Optional `Only If` conditions are available from the event editor.

Melee hit timing is authored in the montage assets. Each swing montage has `Hit Start` and `Hit End` instruction markers, and combo steps add `Combo Start` / `Combo End` markers where input may chain. There are no separate phase-duration fields to tune for these skills.

Idle and 8-direction jog visuals are loop montages. Their animation clips use `Enable Loop = true` and `Loop Count = -1`, so locomotion continues until another montage replaces it or the actor stops.

The reset trigger is the only trigger that mutates attributes directly. It uses a demo-specific GameCreator instruction to restore training actors to their Arena defaults.

## HUD

`Prefabs/GC_ArenaHUD.prefab` binds to the GameCreator Arena player and uses the same texture set and visual quality target as the normal Arena HUD. It includes:

* Health, Mana, and Stamina bars.
* Target health panel.
* Ability input bar and cooldown display.
* Ability failure feedback.
* Floating combat text and event log.

## Validation

Batchmode checks used for this demo:

```
Unity -batchmode -projectPath <project> -runTests -testPlatform editmode -testFilter GameplayAbilityToolkit.Demo.GameCreatorArena.EditorTests.GameCreatorArenaAuthoringTests.SceneHasValidArenaTrainingAuthoring
Unity -batchmode -projectPath <project> -runTests -testPlatform playmode -testFilter GameplayAbilityToolkit.Demo.GameCreatorArena.Tests.GameCreatorArenaTrainingSmokeTests.SceneStartsInPlayModeAndAcceptsSkillInputs
```

The EditMode test verifies scene authoring, player/dummy setup, HUD, Trigger count, floor collision, non-null input bindings, and granted ability specs. The PlayMode test loads the scene, grants all seven skills, activates each input, waits for each ability to finish, and verifies the player stays above the floor.


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